


once more with feeling

by jessamoo



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M, based on stronghold, season nine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-05
Updated: 2014-09-05
Packaged: 2018-02-16 04:38:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2256183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessamoo/pseuds/jessamoo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He realized that it was a fundamental truth. He really wanted her to stay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	once more with feeling

Cam often observed, in private, that he had certain flaws.  
Like everyone really.  
But his own personal flaw (At least, he saw it as one.) Was being way too...well, impulsive, at times.  
As SG1 leader he was given a little room to be rash, but even he had to follow protocol.  
He dreaded the day he pushed his stupid luck too far, or got angry and ended up somehow getting people killed.   
But every time he got wound up and ran into the middle of a battle, he pushed this voice of warning and dread to the back of his mind.

He didn't particularly love this aspect of his character, but even he, the strongest of his own critics, had to admit that sometimes it came in handy. Sometimes you just had to be quick, and just do it, and you could end up saving people.

Whatever, he thought. He didn't know whether it was good or bad, but now was not the time to dwell on it.  
He had been pissed, and had had a really bad day. He was bruised and bloody, and dirty and achey.   
And not in a good way.

 

Cam flexed his fingers and rolled his neck as he trudged to his quarters after a much needed shower.

As he lay down and let out a sigh of relief, he soon realized any rest would be short and pretty much non existent. This was because he heard raised voices coming from the corridor outside.  
He grunted in frustration as he wandered to his door, eyes still shut.  
Then, bracing himself against the headache that was most likely imminent, he opened his door and took in the scene in front of him.

Daniel and Vala were stomping around shouting about God knows what.  
Of course it would be them, He thought.  
"You know," Vala rolled her eyes and waved her arms in exasperation. "I didn't even do anything wrong! It's just a stupid cup!"  
"It's a priceless artifact! I would have thought you of all people would know not to break something valuable." Daniel shot back half sarcastically.  
"Me of all people? And pray, what is that supposed to mean?!"  
"Oh I think you know exactly what it means."

 

Cam leaned against his door frame and hit his head lightly against it. He was about to turn back into his room when Vala caught sight of him.  
"Cameron!" She practically screeched, rushing over and grabbing his already sore arm tightly.   
"Daniel here, is trying to blame me for something really stupid, that I didn't even do-"  
"You did."  
"Ok, I did, but it was an accident."  
Cam shook his head. "I don't really know what you want me to do about it."  
"Well...explain to him! Or something! Or you know you could just fire him."  
Cam frowned at her, but turned his head slightly to look at her properly.

He could tell this was one of those stupid quarrels that would be forgotten about in what - three hours? - But still. Vala's eyes were wide and pleading.  
And he was a sucker for a pair of pretty eyes.  
"Listen, Jackson. I'm sure whatever she did she didn't mean it." He looked pointedly at Vala then back to Jackson. "Now you two kids just avoid each other for a while and I'm sure by tomorrow you' be best friends again."  
Ok, so even if he did have an inexplicable urge to help Vala, it didn't mean it made his negotiation skills any better. Vala however, shrugged, satisfied. Daniel rolled his eyes but then muttered,  
"Fine." Sullenly.

Vala, feeling triumphant, nodded once and smiled widely at Cam.  
"You know, I think there is only one place I'm sure he wont be able to come and blame me for something else." She said slyly once Daniel had stalked off down the corridor with a huff.

As Vala said this, Cam pretended not to notice how she'd clasped her hands behind her back and was occasionally biting her lip. And then he tried - and failed - not to notice how she leaned further towards him, almost trapping him against the doorway.  
That voice of warning and dread he got before he did something dangerous was there again.  
But as usual, he found himself suppressing it against his better judgment.

Cam wasn't the type of guy to get nervous around women - but he found himself only able to murmur a few syllables - and he had that weird lowdown twisty feeling in his gut - As Vala's eyes flicked downward and back up again, finally falling on his lips.  
"Uh...Vala..."  
Without replying, she smiled and snaked past him into his quarters - brushing past him slower and with more contact than was completely necessary.

Cam regained composure quickly and with every intention of making her leave, followed her inside. And when he found himself shutting the door he knew that all rational thought had disappeared. He again couldn't figure out why he wasn't getting rid of her, as she surveyed the room, hand on her hip.  
Oh well, he thought. Go with it. Not like this day could get any worse.

When Vala didn't say anything, Cam sighed and went to flop back down on his bed again, meaning to somehow fall asleep.  
"Well, your not very subtle, are you?"  
From where he had his eyes closed he felt the bed move slightly when she sat on it.  
"Thank you for helping me. I know..." Her voice took on a lower, sadder tone. He couldn't really tell if this was an act or not, but he decided not to question it for now.  
"I know that you would have probably preferred to take Daniel's side. Now I realize that it was just a stupid argument, of course. But still. Your defending me...well..." She said her words deliberately, like she was choosing them carefully, or was nervous about them.

He had opened his eyes at this point, and propped himself up onto his elbows. He found himself staring at her as she talked - completely engrossed with every aspect of her face. Cam was good at reading people, and he knew (though she would try to deny it later) this was Vala at her most honest.  
He didn't really know why she had chosen him, to relay all this too, but he felt trusted. He was glad she wasn't just lying or hiding like she did with other people. (And for a second he felt selfishly happy that she was telling him over Daniel. But he felt bad about it after.)

"Well?" He encouraged. She had been staring at the floor, but now she looked up at him. There was a harsh glint to her eyes now.  
"Well, it meant a lot. Because i know pretty much everyone here cannot wait for me to leave."  
"Hey. Don't say that."  
"It's true. I know everyone judges me. I do bring half of it on myself I know, but God...it's just so...unfair."  
"It is not true. Hell, your part of the team now. I don't want you to leave." Cam blurted this out rather quickly - Anything to reassure her. (Also, because he realized that it was a fundamental truth. He really wanted her to stay.)

The second he said it, Vala had reverted back to her old self. The way she was with other people (Flirty, blunt and over sexual.) which he'd guessed a while ago was half her personality and half defense mechanism.  
Cam was sure what he saw now was a mixture of the two.  
"Good!" She beamed, a little to brightly for it to be genuine. "Then I wont leave. I'll just stay right here."  
Vala lowered herself slowly to lay on her side seductively.

"Really?" Cam raised an eyebrow. "That's the pose your going for?"  
Vala rolled her eyes.  
"Oh darling, your just being grumpy."  
"Well, after today I think I deserve to be."  
"Oh hardly." She chuckled. "Still. I must figure out a way..." As she said this in a low, quiet voice, she began to move forward above where he was laying, slowly and deliberately.   
When she came to a stop, her pretty face was inches above his, and she swung a leg over his to straddle him. "To make you feel better." She finally finished with a small, knowing smile.  
Cam swallowed.  
"Vala, I don't think this is..."  
"Appropriate? No. The fun stuff never is."  
Cam closed his eyes a moment as she trailed a long finger over his jawline and lips.

He couldn't quite make sense of how him having a bad day had somehow resulted in his being straddled by a promiscuous (and totally hot) alien - but right now he wasn't complaining. Probably should have been, but he wasn't. And Vala was true to her word. He was definitely starting to feel better. Especially when she moved to a more comfortable position on top of him. This time the low down ache he got was so in a good way.

She kissed him fiercely. Cam returned the kiss in equal measure, tangling his fingers in her long dark hair to pull her closer. He moved an arm round her slim waist to steady her as he sat up.  
Between kisses her looked up at her.  
"Your not still sad are you?"  
Vala kissed him again and shrugged. "Doesn't matter." She breathed, and began to tug his shirt up over his head. "You can make me feel better as well."

He kissed her slender neck and she grinned.  
"Because you know Colonel." She raised her arms above her head so he could remove her shirt.  
"I really am a people person."  
Cam chuckled. "Hell yeah you are." And he bent down to kiss the swell of her breast.

 

It wasn't until the fourth, fifth time that it really became something they cared about. It stopped being a way of feeling better, and just became a way of feeling for the other. Because it meant neither of them really had anything to be sad about for the moment, yet they still kept going back to one another. Once both of them realized this was important, neither wanted to let it go.

Vala did take longer to get to that point, though. To accept it wasn't just sex, and to accept that Cam really did want her and not just her body. It had been so long since someone had felt that for her, she had almost forgotten it, and was afraid. But in the end, she saw that Cam wouldn't hurt her, not for anything.  
And she also really did become a 'people person'. Vala was still Vala, but she felt more like she belonged, when she had someone to belong too.  
As well as being a 'People person', she was also - as she admitted to Cam one night as they lay in his bed, and he lazily stroked her arm - undeniably his.


End file.
